Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
08 March 2012 12:32
Scientists at the University of Dundee hope to discover treatments for neglected tropical diseases
£10 million has been granted to Scottish university scientists to help them investigate tropical diseases, which 150,000 people in developing countries die from each year.
The Wellcome Trust and pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) have offered the funding to experts at the University of Dundee so they can research neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) from around the globe, such as African sleeping sickness and Chagas disease.
The university's Drug Discovery Unit will work alongside the Tres Cantos Medicines Development camp, which GSK runs in Spain.
In the next five years, the collaboration aims to discover a safe, affordable treatment for one of the NTDs, which are often caused by parasites.
The prevalence of such diseases countries that are on the tourist trail highlights the need for travellers to make sure they have medical travel insurance when heading off the beaten track.
Professor Alan Fairlamb from the university said: "These parasitic diseases, which afflict millions of people worldwide, are collectively responsible for about 150,000 deaths every year in Asia, Africa and Latin America.
"The drugs currently used to treat patients are often difficult to administer, have toxic side-effects and are not always effective due to drug resistance.
"Better, safer drugs are needed that are cheap and easy to administer, because most of these patients are living in poverty without access to hospitals or clinics."
22 September 2017
A new computer code that can be applied to GP surgery data could be the answer to identifying those most at risk of developing bowel cancer.
[more...]
21 September 2017
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a warning over a growing resistance to antibiotics.
20 September 2017
Thousands of Ryanair flights have been cancelled over the next six weeks, as the airline says it "messed up" allocation of its pilots' annual leave.
19 September 2017
Manchester's Girlguides are being urged to help the elderly with a new badge incentivising youngsters to tackle senior loneliness.
16 September 2017
Holidaymakers are being evacuated as winds up to 200km per hour hit Central Vietnam, with Typhoon Doksuri damaging houses, roads and infrastructure.
15 September 2017
People in parts of East Anglia are eight times more likely to survive liver disease than Blackpool residents, according to new data by Public Health England (PHE).
14 September 2017
A non-invasive alternative to gastric bypass surgery that helps people with Type 2 diabetes lose weight is being recommended for widespread use by NHS experts.
13 September 2017
Almost half of UK adults travelling to areas at risk of malaria are not covering themselves by taking medication, despite recommendations made by the NHS and world health organisations.
12 September 2017
A new health warning has been issued by scientists in Sweden, suggesting e-cigarettes with nicotine could lead to an increased risk of heart attacks and strokes.
09 September 2017
Researchers have developed a futuristic pen-like device that can tell whether someone has cancer much faster than current technology.
08 September 2017
A staffing crisis in the NHS is seeing cancer patients turned away from their GP surgery and instead visiting A&E, a report has claimed.
07 September 2017
Whether it's binge-watching box-sets, shopping for clothes, chatting to friends or picking up work emails, staying connected is pretty much essential to everyday life.